


Five Times That Fraser Made Ray Laugh

by sdwolfpup



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-08
Updated: 2007-02-08
Packaged: 2018-11-06 18:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11042109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sdwolfpup/pseuds/sdwolfpup
Summary: Five times, laughter.





	Five Times That Fraser Made Ray Laugh

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to brynnmck for beta, and for the idea to do this in the first place.

  
**I. January**  
They were standing outside a thrift store in falling snow, staring at the Easter display that the store had put up: lots of fluffy sheep and bunnies and that fake plastic grass that got everywhere. There was even an inflatable chocolate bunny. "Can you believe this?" Ray said. "Easter decorations!" Ray tugged at his scarf, trying to settle it more comfortably against his neck.  
  
Fraser was staring at him with that look that meant he had no idea what Ray was talking about and he imagined Ray didn't either. "Easter is widely celebrated in America, Ray. It's a national holiday."  
  
"I know that, Fraser. You think I don't celebrate Easter? I'm a holiday Catholic."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"You know, only go to church on the holidays? Look, I'm not complaining about the content, it's the timing. It's January, for crying out loud. We haven't even had Valentine's Day yet, and they're already at Easter. Pretty soon it'll be Christmas in March." He tugged his scarf off, looking for whatever it was that was making his neck itch.  
  
"Ah, I see. It does seem peculiar to be celebrating so early."  
  
"It's greedy, is what is. They just make more money on Easter. Nobody goes to a thrift store on Valentine's Day, unless they're single."  
  
"Or planning to be," Fraser said with a shockingly bright smile, and the quip startled Ray so much he dropped his scarf to the ground and laughed.  
  
  
  
**II. May**  
“You seem unusually chipper this morning, Ray.”

“Why shouldn’t I be? It’s spring, Benny. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, the air is fresh, well, as fresh as it can get in Chicago. You ready to take Dief out?”

Dief woofed once, and Fraser inclined his head with a smile. “I believe we are.”

They hit the street at a brisk pace, Dief trotting a few feet ahead of them as they made their way to the park. There were kids all over, riding bikes and skateboards and generally getting in their way, but Ray felt at peace with the world so he didn’t shout once.

“You know, Benny, there’s nothing like a constitutional on a spring day to make a guy feel peace on earth and goodwill towards mankind.” He grinned at Fraser, saw Fraser beaming back at him with a wide, bright smile.

“I couldn’t agree more, Ray. A good walk does wonders for a person’s state of mind. Exercise in general creates endorphins-“

“I don’t have that much goodwill, Benny.”

“Understood, Ray.” But Fraser was still smiling, so Ray figured he was in on the joke. A back-and-forth that they’d perfected in the short time they’d known each other. The Canadian and the American. The Mountie and the Cop. The Stunning Adonis and the Big-Nosed Italian.

Ray’s smile felt like it was splitting his face now, and he wanted to shout or run or do something equally ridiculous. Instead he slung his arm around Fraser’s shoulders, laughing. “We’re a hell of a pair, Benny.”

Fraser’s smile went weird, all soft and gentle and happy, and it made Ray feel like he’d won some battle he wasn’t even aware he’d been fighting. “Yes we are, Ray.” Dief glanced back and barked, and Fraser made a shushing sound.

“Trio,” Ray amended, laughing again. “A hell of a trio. Watch out, world!” That got Fraser laughing, too, Dief barking in joyful accompaniment as they walked along, loud and bright as the day.  
  
  
  
**III. August**  
"God, this heat is killing me." Fraser didn’t respond, so Ray pressed further. “It’s like an oven in here. If I could roll the windows down farther, I would.”

“That doesn’t make sense, Ray,” Fraser murmured. His voice was thick, drowsy.

“Sure it does. It would let in more breeze that way.” Ray pulled his undershirt away from his sweat-slick skin and fanned himself with it. He mostly succeeded in moving the hot air around. “Not that there’s much of a breeze going. This has got to be against some law, somewhere, making cops sit out in weather like this.” It was twelve in the afternoon and the sun was a crisp, bright ball above them, roasting him and Fraser as they waited out O’Malley in the Riv.

Ray exhaled loudly, and twisted around in the seat to check on Dief, who was stretched out on his side in the back, panting loudly. He still had water in the bowl Ray had bought at the convenience store across the way, but the ice they’d put in it had melted long ago. “You think he needs more ice?”

“The water is fine, Ray, thank you.” Fraser shifted then, and Ray glanced over, saw he was sweating as much as Ray was, his cheeks pink with the heat. “Actually,” Fraser continued, his voice gaining energy, “it’s better to drink warm water when you’re warm, because you’ll retain it better.”

“Warm water? On a day like this? No way! Give me an ice cold beer.”

“You’re not allowed to drink on the job, Ray.”

“I know that, Fraser.” Ray started to rest his arms on the steering wheel, but the plastic burned his skin. “O’Malley better be in there,” he muttered, rubbing his forearms. Ray had stripped down to his undershirt half an hour ago to almost no effect, but Fraser had copied him fifteen minutes later, and Ray at least felt validated, if still hot.

The worst part of it was how thick the air felt, like Ray could feel it in his lungs when he breathed, and pressing against his skin even when he was just sitting there. “If I didn’t know how bad my luck was, I’d say we take off our pants.”

“Bad luck might be preferable to heat stroke.”

Ray laughed, low and soft in the still air. “You might be right, Benny.” He glanced over at Fraser, who was watching him, with a strange, expectant look. “Are you gonna do it, too?” Ray asked. He felt a nervous flutter in his stomach, like that time he’d played his first co-ed game of Truth or Dare in high school.

Fraser nodded once and, without looking away, unsnapped the button of his jeans. Ray never had time to figure out what the feeling was that rushed through him at that, because O’Malley came bursting out of the house with a scream and a gunshot, running off with Ray and Fraser tailing him in the sweltering afternoon.

  
  
**IV. October**  
Ray threw two more bags of candy into his shopping cart and then examined the plastic hanging bats for the one that had the best looking wings.  
  
"What about this?" Fraser asked, holding up an enormous plastic pumpkin.  
  
With a critical eye, Ray judged its potential for scaring the neighborhood kids. It had a wicked looking mouth full of sharp teeth, and an evil tilt to the eyebrows that made him think of devils. "Yeah, that's perfect. Throw it in the cart, will you?"

They stood side-by-side then, each examining the long aisle filled with Halloween decorations, their shoulders pressed comfortably together. Ray had enjoyed Fraser’s frank interest in the process of properly decorating a house for the holiday, and Ray had secretly stashed a handful of items in the cart that he planned to surprise Benny with later.

Ray's eyes lit on Peeps shaped like ghosts and he snorted in disgust. "Is nothing sacred?"  
  
There was a long silence from Fraser, and when Ray looked over, he saw confusion clear on Fraser's face. "These," Ray explained, holding up the Peeps. "These are supposed to only be available at Easter. Now you can get them for Halloween, too! It ruins the whole point."  
  
"The point...of Peeps?" He could see Fraser struggling to keep up.  
  
"Yes, Fraser, the point of Peeps."  
  
"Isn't the point to eat them?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And aren't these edible?"  
  
"Yes." Ray let the silence sit for a moment, enjoying Fraser trying to make sense of it all. Yeah, it was petty, but it was fun, too. "Benny," he said, finally taking pity on his friend, "Peeps are supposed to be little yellow chicks that you eat at Easter time. If you get them as ghosts then you should call them 'Boos' or something. Peep is the sound a chick makes."  
  
"Oh. I see." He watched the idea wind its way around the maze-like interior that was Fraser's brain, and settle somewhere this side of understanding. Fraser scanned the shelf and reached out and picked up a package of marshmallow pumpkins. "What would you call these, Ray?"  
  
"A bad idea."  
  
Fraser 'hmm'd and set them back on the shelf. Ray took a couple of boxes of ghost-shaped Peeps and threw them in the cart, too. "Ray, I thought you didn't like those?"  
  
"Maria's kids love them."  
  
Fraser smiled. "You know, Ray, it's a shame they don't have the chick shaped ones, too. Then you could call them Little Boo Peeps."  
  
Ray groaned involuntarily, and when Benny's wild giggles started, Ray joined in.

  
  
**V. January, Again**  
Ray picked his scarf up from the sidewalk, still laughing to himself. He found the tag that had been bothering him and ripped it out. "You left the price tag on this, Benny," he said, waving the slim piece of white cardboard. Fraser reached out to take it, but Ray yanked it back before he could. "Maybe I should see what kind of Valentine's Day you were planning for, huh?" Ray asked, grinning.

Fraser blushed deeply. "It was a gift, Ray, you weren't meant to know the price."  
  
"But now I can." Ray fingered the cardboard while he watched Fraser fidget. It was an unusual experience to see Fraser so put out. "I won't think any less of you, Benny. I know what kind of budget you're on; I'm the guy who's paid for your last three trips to the grocery store, after all." Fraser hedged towards him, and Ray spun on his heel, bringing the price tag up. He got a look before Fraser's arm shot past Ray's ear and yanked the tag away, but even faster than that, Ray turned back and grabbed Fraser's elbow.  
  
"Where did you get the money for that?" he demanded.  
  
"I am not _entirely_ without funds, Ray."  
  
"Tell me that's not the actual price you actually paid."  
  
But Fraser, being Fraser, remained close-mouthed, instead extricating his arm from Ray's grip.  
  
"Jesus, Benny. You spent a hundred and fifty dollars on a scarf? For me? That's crazy."  
  
"I had hoped to have a very nice Valentine's Day, I suppose."  
  
Ray laughed, but it died in his throat when he saw the serious look on Fraser's face. An elderly couple walked by them while Ray and Fraser stood outside the thrift store, watching each other. Once the couple had safely passed, Ray edged a step closer. "Are you trying to tell me something?"  
  
"Trying and failing, apparently."  
  
It was still snowing, and that fact suddenly surprised Ray, because he felt like it was summertime. He was warm from the inside out, and he felt loose and relaxed and content. Ray carefully placed the scarf around Fraser's neck, while Fraser watched him with a slow smile lighting his eyes. "I'm not planning on being single for Valentine's Day this year, Benny. What about you?"


End file.
